Obituary of Michael WATSON

Mike passed away suddenly at home on Monday, January 30 after courageously facing numerous health issues over recent years. Mike was a kind and loving husband to Pat and a proud and supportive father to Chris and his fiancé Kara Lamy, and to daughter Laura, who always lit up like a Christmas tree around Dad. Mike also leaves behind his father, Bruce Watson of Solon, Ohio. He is predeceased by his mother Shirley Watson; brother Dave Watson; and sister Deb Horten. Mike was born in Oakville, Ontario but the family soon moved to Mexico City where he developed a love for the language and culture. The family later moved to Ohio where he met Pat. Mike attended Miami University where he obtained his geology degree. He married Pat after university and they moved back to Canada. They lived for a brief time in Edmonton and Fort McMurray when he was starting his career in the oil and gas industry and then moved to Calgary where he became a respected Geologist working for a number of companies including Husky Oil and North American Oil Sands. Most recently, he was one of the founders and the CEO of Waseca Energy. Mike loved spending time with his family, and was blessed with many passions. He enjoyed the hours spent in his greenhouse cultivating his cacti and succulents. He looked forward to spring when he could go fly fishing on the Bow River with friends. He especially enjoyed his fly fishing trips to Argentina and Mexico. Mike recently threw himself into the flamenco music and dance scene, learning to play flamenco guitar and gathering friends and family to join him for flamenco performances. Mike always had a keen interest in archeology, and made many trips with friends to the Mayan ruins in Central America and Mexico. Mike also enjoyed taking his cars through their paces at Race City and the back roads of Alberta and BC, and still had time left over to build models and work on his stamp collection and spend evenings down at the pub shooting the breeze. Mike had a kind and generous soul and was quick to help a friend, a colleague, or even a stranger. Mike was taken away far too soon and will be missed terribly by his family and friends. A Memorial Service will be held at CALGARY CREMATORIUM CHAPEL, 3219 – 4th Street N.W., (within the valley of Queen’s Park Cemetery) on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. Please forward condolences through www.hffs.com. If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made in Mike’s name, directly to the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Alberta, 200, 119 – 14th Street N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1Z6 Telephone: (403) 264-5549, www.heartandstroke.ca. The family wants to thank Dr. Glen Curtis and Dr. Daniel Muruve for all their support.